FR2652739A1 - SELF-TRANSFER POCKET. - Google Patents

Abstract

The autotransfusion bag has semi-rigid side walls (4,5) and a flexible material that connects them. The pocket has spreader arms (9,10) which extend over the top and bottom of the pocket coming into contact with retaining elements mounted on the outer face of the side walls. The spreader arms (9,10) keep the bag in the open position to allow it to be filled with blood. When the bag is full, the spreader arms can be removed to allow it to flatten as the blood is transferred back to the patient.

Description

The present invention relates to autotransfusion bags and

  relates in particular to a pocket comprising spacer arms intended to maintain the

  pocket open during filling, arms spread

  easily removable after filling to allow the bag to flatten as it

empties.

  During surgical procedures, it is desirable to have means to draw the patient's blood from the surgical site, and to

  collect it in a pocket to transfer it back to the

  hold their own blood at the end of the procedure. In recent times, many improvements have been

  developed in the field of auto devices

  transfusion, comprising pockets fitted with an admission tube to draw blood from the surgical site and collect it inside the pocket using

  means capable of creating a phenomenon of internal suction

  laughing to aspirate blood from the surgical site and bring it into the pocket. To create suction inside the pocket, this

  be kept in an open position.

  However, when it comes to transferring blood back to the patient from the filled pocket, the latter must be able to

  flatten out to prevent air from entering.

  There are a number of patents con-

  surrounding autotransfusion bags and comprising devices intended to hold an open bag and allow it to flatten when the blood which it contains must be retransfused to the patient. US Patent No. 4,443,220 issued to HAUER provides a flexible pocket which is held in an open position by means of an external support frame which contacts

  pockets placed on the outside of the pocket.

  When it is time to empty the pocket, simply remove it from the

  frame to allow it to flatten.

  U.S. Patent No. 4,838,872 issued to SHERLOCK

  also describes a self-transfusion device

  taking semi-rigid side walls which are connected together in a flexible manner and comprising a

  rigid outer cylinder which maintains the side edges

  of the semi-rigid side walls of the pocket in the compressed state so as to force the side walls outwards to make them take a substantially cylindrical shape. So the pocket is held

  in an open position by a rigid external cylinder

  laughing and when it needs to be emptied, we remove the cylinder

  outside to allow it to flatten.

  Another type of retransfusion apparatus is shown in US Patent No. 4,642,088 to GUNTER in which an accordion-shaped pocket structure is held in the open state by springs attached to the end walls which pull outward the

  pocket structure in accordion shape.

  Although the devices mentioned above

  are effective in holding a car pocket

  transfusion in the open state while the blood is brought there and allows it to flatten out during collection, these devices of the prior art are relatively complex and expensive to manufacture. The present invention provides a simplified structure which

  meets all the requirements of a car

  transfusion with relatively few elements

and cheap.

  The present invention provides a pocket intended for use as an autotransfusion device comprising semi-rigid lateral walls connected to each other on the lateral edges and on the ends.

  by a flexible wall structure. A port of admission

  blood, a suction port and a

  blood exit are practiced in the outer walls

  from the pocket. Rigid spreader arms engage

  in sockets which are mounted on surfaces ex-

  of the semi-rigid side walls of the pocket.

  When the ends of the spacer arms penetrate into the sockets on the side walls, the bag is held in an open position. When the bag filling operation is completed, the spacer arms can be easily removed from the sleeves on the side walls of the bag, allowing it to flatten out as the blood in it

is taken.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an autotransfusion device which constitutes a means

  reliable and inexpensive to maintain a car pocket

transfusion in the open state.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a flexible autotransfusion bag comprising semi-rigid side walls provided with external sleeves in which engages a spacer arm extending over an end wall of the bag to maintain that - this in the open state during filling.

  Other objects of the present invention appear

  will easily read the description

  following detailed taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of an autotransfusion bag in the open state showing under the

  exploded form the spreader arms and the means of

  rusting; - Figure 2 is a view of the pocket in the flattened state; - Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fully open pocket mounted on a support; and - Figure 4 is a perspective view of the

pocket removed from holder.

  Figure 1 shows an autotransfusion bag according to the present invention. Although it can be made from various materials and assembled in different ways, in a specific embodiment of the invention an inner pocket has a pair of shells forming the outer side walls of semi-rigid plastic and laminated on that -this. The inside pocket includes a pair of sheets 1 and 2

  which may consist of a film of chlorine

  polyvinyl rure having semicircular end portions with the edges of the sheets assembled by heat sealing as shown in 3. The semi-rigid shells forming the outer side walls 4 and 5 can for example be made from a polyethylene terephthalate sheet, approximately 2.38 mm (0.094 inch) thick. The side wall shells 4 and 5 have semicircular ends and are of a length substantially less than that of the sheets 1 and 2 of the inner pocket. For example, in the embodiment shown, the sheets 1 and 2 may be 30.86 cm (12.15 inches) long and 16.51 cm (6.50 inches) wide while the wall shells side 4 and 5 have a length of 22.22 cm (8.75 inches) and a width of 15.24 cm (6 inches). Thus, when the inner sheets 1 and 2 are welded together around the edges with a 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) bead and the side wall shells 4 and 5 are welded centrally on the sheets 1 and 2, the 6.35 mm (0.25 inch) weld bead extends along each edge of the side walls of the pouch and sheets 1 and 2 extend beyond the ends of the shells forming the side walls on each end of 3.68 cm (1.45 inch), plus the width of the cord of 6.35 cm (0.25 inch). When the shells forming the side walls are forcibly separated to obtain a convex shape, the portions of the sheets 1 and 2 of the inner pocket which extend beyond the

  ends of the shells forming the side walls cons-

  form the top and bottom walls of the pocket

dilated posterior.

  The upper end wall of the pocket is provided with an inlet orifice and a tube 6 for receiving blood from the surgical site. The upper end wall is also provided with a second orifice and a suction tube 7 to be connected to a suction regulator to obtain suction inside the pocket so as to bring it into the pocket

  blood from the surgical site. The end wall

  bottom of the pocket has an outlet and a tube 8 for drawing blood from the pocket

to be transferred back to the patient.

  The autotransfusion bag is provided with releasable means to keep it in the open position. A

  spreader arm 9 extends over the upper end wall

  rear of the autotransfusion bag and a spacer arm

  10 extends over the bottom end wall of the pocket.

  The spacer arms are provided with arms 11 deviating downwards to penetrate into the sockets 12 which are formed integrally along the central line contiguous to the upper and lower ends of the semi-rigid side walls 3 and 4. Thus, when the spacer arms 9 and 10 penetrate into the elements of sockets 12 arranged on the upper and lower ends of the semi-rigid side walls 4 and 5, the shells of side walls 4 and 5 are forced to take a convex shape so as to hold the pocket in the open position as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows pins or locking pins 13 which extend through openings in the sockets 12 and penetrate into the recesses 14

  spreader arms 9 and 10. By removing the spreader arms

  teurs 9 and 10 of the socket elements 11, the pocket is easily released to take a flattened position

  as shown in Figure 2.

  As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a support

  with detachable bottom allows to receive amo-

  the spreader arm 10 is visible inside a slot formed in erected retaining elements 16, mounted on the lower support 15. As a variant, the pocket can be hung on a suspension system 17 fixed on the upper end of this to come into contact with the tubes 5 and 6 as shown in Figure 2. In operation, the pocket 1 moves apart to come into the open position by the cooperation of the spacer arms 9 and 10 with the side walls semi -rigid

  4 and 5. The tube 7 is connected to the suction and the

  open mite of the intake tube 6 is in communication with the surgical site so as to collect the blood to bring it into the pocket. When the pocket is filled, the tubes 6 and 7 are closed by pinching and the spacer arms 9 and 10 are released from the sockets 12 on the side walls 4 and 5 of the pocket. It will be noted that openings are made in the spacer arms for cooperation with the fingers in order to facilitate the removal of the spacer arms. When the spacer arms are removed from the bag, the outlet 8 at the lower end of the bag can be connected to an intravenous tube to retransfuse into the

  patient the blood in the pocket. The pocket is

  flattens as blood is drawn from it.

  Of course, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in

  the framework of the above-mentioned lessons.

Claims (4)

CLAIMS:   1. Autotransfusion bag comprising a pair of shells forming semi-rigid side walls (4,5), substantially flat comprising a top, a bottom and side edges, a flexible pocket. The surfaces   of the pocket being attached to the inner surfaces   of the semi-rigid side walls, the flexible pocket having a width substantially equal to the width of the semi-rigid side walls so that the side edges of the pair of side walls are kept in closely spaced relationship, the flexible pocket having a length appreciably greater than that of the semi-rigid lateral shells so that when the semi-rigid lateral walls are substantially flat, the end portions of the flexible pouch extend beyond the top and bottom edges of the semi-rigid lateral walls rigid (4,5), and means extending over at least one of the top and bottom edges of the semi-rigid side walls for retaining the side walls in a convex form to expand the flexible bag with the end portions of these arranged between the top and bottom edges of the semi-rigid side walls and with the side edges of the pair of side walls in relation closely spaced.   2. Autotransfusion bag according to the claim   tion 1, characterized in that it comprises a support spacer having arms (9,10) at each of its ends for cooperation with a retaining means   mounted on semi-rigid side walls.   3. Autotransfusion bag according to the claim   tion 2, characterized in that it includes support spacers (9, 10) on the ends of the top and from the bottom of the pocket.   4. Autotransfusion bag according to the claim   tion 1 characterized in that it further comprises a   detachable bottom support capable of cooperating with the   support holder on the bottom of the pocket.